Fujifilm XF 16-55mm f2.8 II Review
For most of my photography career, I’ve only ever owned between 16-35mm and 70-200+mm. In the past year I’ve been dabbling in the world of more portable cameras utilizing prime lenses, typically between 35mm and 40mm. When I decided to go on a photography trip with only a single camera and lens, I really wanted a bit more versatility than the Fujifilm XF 23mm f2.8 that came with the Fujifilm X-E5. Thus I hesitantly picked up the Fujifilm XF 16-55mm f2.8 II, my first ever mid-range lens for photography. I say hesitantly because I was really worried, based on photos and my reading, that this lens would be too cumbersome and somewhat defeat the purpose of an “all-day portable” camera setup. I can confidently say that those concerns were put to rest during these first impressions!
Why I Bought the Fujifilm XF 16-55mm f2.8 II
This was a very much an impulse buy before my trip to the San Juan islands. I was already nervous about leaving all of my gear at home and only having 35mm to shoot with. I started looking into lens options just for fun and discovered the Sigma 18-55mm f2.8 which seemed like a really compelling option but it lacks a tactile aperture ring! Maybe not enough to completely write it off, but enough to keep me looking.
Fujifilm X-E5 + XF 16-55 f2.8 II (no editing)
Fujifilm recently release version two of their XF 16-55mm f2.8 that is both smaller and lighter than its nearly decade old predecessor. The glaring issue was the price tag at $1399 after all the price increases. Thats more than double the Sigma, which is smaller and lighter, by the way… but the Fuji has an aperture ring. I told myself I can always sell it if I truly don’t enjoy the experience, thus I made an order to pick up literally on the way to the San Juan islands.
The idea should be somewhat obvious but giving a full frame range from 24-85mm while producing a consistent aperture was appealing. I thought about buying the same range for my Nikon Zf and taking that, but once you move up to Full-frame cameras and lenses, you really do lose the portability factor even with their 24-120 f4. This was really important to me. I wanted something that didn’t remind me it was around my neck all the time. The Fujifilm XF 16-55mm f2.8 II ended up being surprisingly nimble and light weight!
Build Quality and Features
This is one of Fujifilm’s most premium offerings in their APS-C (crop) lens lineup. Thus I expect it to feel premium and it does for the most part. Unlike many premium lenses from Nikon or Canon, this lens is entirely metal which certainly makes it feel premium but also subjects itself to a bit more wear and tear over the years. I only know this because of the lens I had for my Fujifilm X-T4 years ago.
The crazy part about this lens is that when you see it and pick it up, you expect it to be much heavier. It is shockingly light, which was a relief because that was my major concern when trying out a zoom lens like this for my portable setup on the Fujifilm X-E5. The lens is listed at 410g but it really does feel lighter than that in practice.
One concern I read online (from what I imagine is the first batch of lenses) was the sticky feeling of the zoom ring. It was reported that once you reach past a certain focal range that it feels less smooth. I’m unsure what batch I received considering this lens is still relatively new but I don’t have exactly this experience. Yes I do notice that from 16 to 55, the feedback is not linear. However this can be normal for some lenses as you have to move more parts in certain ranges of the zoom. A great example is if you hold your lens shooting straight into the air and adjust the zoom, or you hold it shooting straight down. You’ll notice how much heavier, or more effort, it will require to move the elements in the lens. So yes, this does exist but it’s not necessarily “sticky” in practice for me.
One thing that I’ve noticed with more use is the inconsistent “click” of the aperture ring. Depending on the direction I’m turning it, the clicks don’t feel very satisfying. Sometimes it has more feedback than other times. I’ll switch the switch over to de-click the aperture ring and switch it back to alleviate some of the issue but it still happens. Not the end of the world but honestly should be better at this price.
Image Quality and Examples
Nothing here will be test charts or pixel peeping. You can find that on other review websites. For me personally, I want my lenses to produce quality images, but I don’t need them to be precision perfect. Many times the lack of perfection can add character, depending on whatever the fault may be. Overall the images I’ve reviewed from using this lens have been great, and I’ve been specifically pleased with the sunstar renditions when I’ve found them. You can see that very clearly in the above shot with the tree.
Below is a collection of images I’ve taken in a short period on the Fujifilm X-E5 and the Fujifilm XF 16-55mm f2.8 II. None of these are edited, all just straight out of camera using these recipes if you’re interested. Overall my first impressions of the lens are mostly positive. The size, weight, and image quality have been exactly what I was looking for. My only hesitations or concerns as I use the lens more is with issues with the aperture and zoom rings. I’m curious if these will get worse over time or not. Time will tell.
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